Oneida woman, 69, has hole-in-one twice in two weeks

NAPLES, Fla. -- Before 2012, Roz Kallet had never played a round of golf in December.

Turns out, the long-time Oneida resident didn't know what she was missing. Kallet recently recorded two holes-in-one in less than two weeks at Cedar Hammock Golf and Country Club in Naples, Fla.

The first ace came December 14 when she hit a number 4 hybrid into the wind on the on the 114-yard fourth hole. The ball bounced twice before rolling into the hole, giving the 69-year-old her fourth ace. It was her first in over a decade.

Kallet didn't wait nearly as long for her fifth, acing the same hole 13 days later with a nearly identical shot.

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"I am a very talkative individual, but that left me speechless," said Kallet of the feat. "It was wonderful."

Kallet, who has been a golfer for most of her life, belonged to Kanon Valley for more than 40 years. She recorded her first two aces at the Oneida course in the mid-1990s. Her third ace came at the Bonita Bay Club, also located in Naples, at the end of the decade.

Over the past 10 years Kallet didn't have as many opportunities to hit the links. Owning Sprinkles (now Hunter's Hut) ice cream shop in Munnsville cut into her time on the course. Roz moved to Florida with her husband Jim in February after living in Oneida for more than 60 years. She has found more time to play, averaging two rounds per week since the move.

The extra practice paid off in a big way. Cedar Hammock's fourth hole features a tough-to-hit island green. A miss in any direction will result in a lost ball, a penalty and a frustrated golfer.

"They were two good shots," said Kallet. "The other three (holes-in-one) were fluky shots. (At Cedar Hammock) you have to be accurate."

Accurate she was, and her playing group, which included husband Jim, erupted after the first ace. The golfers screamed and jumped up and down after the shocking shot.

Kallet had a slightly different reaction to the second ace.

"I played like garbage after that," she said. "Reality had hit that I had made two holes-in-one."

Before the move, Kallet passed her love of the game to her grandsons, Ben and Jack Kallet. Ben made Oneida's golf team last season as an eighth grader, while younger brother Jack could join the squad in a few years.

"The best thing is that the two boys can look at me and say 'Grandma's 69 and she's still got it,'" Roz said. "The biggest thrill is having grandchildren to share it with."

In terms of the family golf hierarchy, Roz joined Jim as the only two with five aces. They'll return to the course this week searching for No. 6.